Bracket Section L_18Jan24_HTRO.pdf

Section L. Instructions to Offerors

1. General Instructions

The following instructions are for the preparation and submission of the Offeror’s proposals. Offerors must follow the instructions contained herein; Offerors are cautioned that any noncompliance with the terms and conditions of the RFP may cause their proposal to be determined not eligible for award.

The purpose of this section is to establish requirements for the format and content of proposals so that proposals contain all essential information and can be evaluated equitably. Offerors are instructed to read the entire solicitation document, including all attachments in Section J, prior to submitting questions and/or preparing your offer. Omission of any information from the proposal submission requirements may result in rejection of the offer. The electronic solicitation documents, as posted on http://www.sam.gov, shall be the "official" documents for this solicitation.

All information within the page limitations of the proposal is subject to evaluation. The Government Program Team (GPT) will evaluate proposals in accordance with the evaluation criteria set forth in Section M of this solicitation. Offerors may make minor formatting changes to Section K and Section J templates used in proposal submission. For example, minor formatting changes include such things as adjusting page breaks, adding corporate identification logos, identifying proposal volume identifiers in the headers and footers, including disclaimers of proprietary information, etc.

The Government will not reimburse Offerors for any cost incurred for the preparation and submission of a proposal in response to this solicitation.

All proposal information is subject to verification by the GPT. The Offeror is required to ensure all proposal information submitted is verifiable. If the GPT detects a high degree of unverifiable, contradictory or unsubstantiated information submitted in an Offeror’s proposal, the GPT will end the proposal evaluation, and the Offeror will be removed from being considered for award. Falsification of any proposal submission, documents, or statements may subject the Offeror to civil or criminal prosecution under Section 1001 of Title 18 of the United States Code.

NOTE: This solicitation instructs Offerors to provide supporting documentation for all scored evaluation criteria. While some sub-sections of Section L may indicate an Offeror shall provide a particular form of documentation for validation purposes, Offerors may provide whatever official, verifiable documentation is necessary to validate any pass/fail or scored evaluation criteria being claimed.

If a joint venture arrangement exists for this acquisition, the Offeror shall provide a copy of the joint venture agreement that is signed and dated by all joint venture members as part of the proposal submission. Offerors shall submit only one proposal for the F-16 Bracket Parts and Kit Assemblies IDIQ requirement as the Government will review only one proposal per Offeror.

1.1. Proposal Due Date

Proposals must be received by the Procurement Contracting Officer (PCO) no later than the date and time specified in Block 8 on the face page of the RFP.

1.2. Number of Contracts to be Awarded

The GPT intends to award up to five (5) Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contracts for the F-16 Bracket Parts and Kit Assemblies. However, the GPT reserves the right to award more or less than five (5) contracts, or no contracts at all, depending on the quality of the proposals and the specific criteria outlined in section M of this solicitation.

2. Communications

The Procurement Contracting Officer (PCO) and the Buyers are the sole points of contact (POCs) for this acquisition. Address any questions or concerns you may have to these individuals. Written requests for clarification may be sent to the attention of the PCO and Buyers using the e-mail addresses below.

PCO: Laurie Auernig, laurie.auernig@us.af.mil Buyer: Kayla Flores, kayla.flores@us.af.mil

Exchanges of source selection information between the GPT and Offerors will be controlled by the Procurement Contracting Officer (PCO) and the Buyer(s).

Digital delivery of source selection information is preferred. Email may be used to transmit such information only if the email can be sent encrypted and must include “Source Selection Information – See FAR 2.101 and 3.104” in the subject line of the email. In order to facilitate the sending and receiving of encrypted emails, Offerors must use MS Outlook email configured to support encryption or a different email product that is S/MIME compatible and configured to support encryption. If you intend to submit your source selection information via encrypted email, you will need to contact the Buyer(s)/Contracting Officer specified above prior to that first submittal in order to exchange certificates used for encryption.

To ensure the process is working correctly, send a test encrypted message first (without including any source selection information). Otherwise, source selection information will be transmitted via DoD SAFE at https://safe.apps.mil by requesting a Drop-Off code from the PCO/Buyers. Either the PCO or one of the Buyers will provide the drop-off code; however, when submitting the information, the PCO and other Buyer should be added to the distribution. When submitting source selection information via email, file suppression utilities, to include but not limited to zip files, will not be accepted.

All electronic copies shall be submitted in a format readable and searchable by Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word 2016, Microsoft Office Excel 2016, and Microsoft Office Power Point 2016, as applicable. Ensure all graphics (including tables, charts, and foldouts) in the proposal’s electronic version are pasted into the proposal (do not paste as picture only).

3. Volume Organization

3.1. Page Limitations and Volume Structure

Proposals shall be submitted in Three (3) separate volumes as set forth below. The Offeror may create subcategories within volumes for organization as needed.

Volume Page Limits Number of Copies Description 1 N/A 1 Completed RFP 2 75 1 Self-Scoring Worksheet and Supporting Documentation 3 N/A 1 Sample Task Order Price Proposal

3.2. Specific Formatting Requirements

In addition to the page limitations set forth above, proposal volumes shall comply with the following format:

The Self-Scoring worksheet does not count toward the page limitations set forth above for Volume 2.

Each volume shall be marked with the RFP number, the Offeror’s name and address, and the number of the Volume (i.e., 1, 2, 3, etc.). Proposals shall be in the English language.

Print shall be no smaller than a font size of 11, Time New Roman font. Paper size shall be 8 1/2” X

11”, excluding any drawings, diagrams, and/or supporting illustrations, spreadsheets, etc. Charts, graphs, drawings, diagrams, supporting illustrations, or spreadsheets shall not be greater than 11” x 17”. Each volume within the proposal shall be separately and clearly identified. Margins shall be no smaller than 1 inch and each page within a volume shall be numbered consecutively. Elaborate formats, bindings, color presentations are not desired or required. Tracking, kerning, and leading values shall not be changed from the default values of the word processing or page layout software.

The page limitations shall be treated as maximums and include any cover page, charts, graphs, drawings, diagrams, supporting illustrations, spreadsheets, etc., but excludes any table of contents or list of acronyms (if utilized). Offerors are cautioned that any pages that exceed the page limitations shall not be read but shall be removed and either retained in the contract file without being considered in the evaluation or sent back to the Offeror.

Page limitations may be placed on responses to Evaluation Notices (ENs), if issued. The specified page limits for EN responses will be identified in the letters forwarding the ENs to Offerors or on the EN form itself.

Each page containing proprietary information should be so marked.

Each page should contain the following legend at the bottom of each sheet:

SOURCE SELECTION INFORMATION--SEE FAR 2.101 and 3.104

CUI//SP-PROCURE

All portions of the proposal shall be searchable for text in the host program. This includes tables, foldouts, graphics, and figures.

Block 12 of the front page of the solicitation provides a period of 250 calendar days to award this contract. All proposals shall be valid for this duration. If a proposal states that its validity is less than this duration, it may be found to be noncompliant and may be rejected.

Cross Referencing: Volumes shall be written on a stand-alone basis so that their contents can be evaluated without cross-referencing to other proposal volumes. Information required for proposal evaluation that is not found in its designated volume will be assumed to have been omitted from the proposal. Cross-referencing within a proposal volume is permitted where its use would conserve space without impairing clarity.

Executive Summary: An Executive Summary is not required for any of the Volumes but may be included as desired by offerors, limited to one (1) page.

Assumptions/Exceptions: At the beginning of each Volume, Offerors will identify any assumptions/exceptions they consider pertinent to their proposal. Each assumption/exception to the solicitation shall be specifically related to each paragraph and/or specific part of the solicitation to which the exception is taken. Provide rationale in support of the assumption/exception and fully explain its impact, if any, on the performance, schedule, cost, and specific requirements of the solicitation.

Table of Contents (TOC): Each volume shall contain a detailed table of contents to delineate the paragraphs and subparagraphs within that volume. The table of contents shall be hyperlinked to the corresponding material within each volume. Tables of contents do not count against the page limitations for their respective volumes.

List of Drawings/Tables/Figures/Charts: Drawings, tables, figures and charts shall be labeled, organized, be searchable, and indexed within the TOC.

Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms: Each volume shall contain a glossary of all abbreviations and acronyms used, including an explanation for each.

Solicitation Assumptions/Exceptions Format Example

Solicitation Document

Page/ Paragraph Requirement/Portion Rationale Impact

PWS, Solicitation, Section, etc.

Applicable Section, Page and Paragraph Numbers

Identify the requirement or portion to which the assumption/exception is taken

Describe why the requirement will not be met

Describe the impact, if any, on the requirements

4. Volume 1, Completed RFP

4.1. General and Format

The Offeror shall use the following format for Volume 1. Offerors are cautioned that any noncompliance with the terms and conditions of the RFP may cause their proposal to be determined not eligible for award. Offerors shall ensure that all clauses and provisions that require “fill in” information are appropriately completed.

Title Page / Cover Letter Executive Summary (Optional, not more than one (1) page) Assumptions/Exceptions Table of Contents (TOC) List of Drawings/Tables/Graphs/Figures/Charts Specific Content Including Completed and signed SF33, and any applicable amendments Glossary/Abbreviations/Acronyms

4.2. Cover Letter

The Offeror Title Page / Cover Letter shall include:

Authorized Offeror Personnel – Provide the name, title, and telephone number of the company/ division point of contact regarding decisions made with respect to your proposal and who can obligate your company contractually. Also, identify those individuals authorized to negotiate with the Government.

Company/Division Address, Identifying Codes and Provides company/division's street address, county, and facility code; Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code; DUNS number; size of business for the applicable NAICS (large or small); and labor surplus area designation (if an Offeror is located in the United States – if located outside of the United States no labor surplus area designation is needed). This same information must be provided if the work for this contract will be performed at any other location(s). List all locations where work is to be performed and indicate whether such facility is a division, affiliate, or subcontractor, and the percentage of work to be performed at each location.

4.3. Standard Form (SF) 33

Using the SF 33 form, Solicitation, Offer and Award, posted as page 1 of the solicitation in http://www.sam.gov, the Offeror shall fill out blocks 12 through 18 accordingly:

The Government requires a minimum acceptance period of not less than 250 calendar days. The

Offeror shall complete Block 12 of each SF 33 submitted with full cognizance of the minimum acceptance period of 250 calendar days. "Acceptance Period” means the number of calendar days available to the Government for awarding a Contract from the date specified in this solicitation for receipt of offers. Your offer may only specify a longer acceptance period than the Government's minimum requirement.

If any amendments to the solicitation are issued, the Offeror must acknowledge each amendment number and date in Block 14 of the SF 33 or complete Blocks 8 and 15 of the SF 30 for each amendment.

The Offeror’s Legal Name and Address in Block 15A on the SF33 must match the information for the Offeror in http://www.sam.gov, including the corresponding Commercial and Government Agency (CAGE) Code Number and Data Universal Numbering Systems (DUNS) Number (Note: the address listed in Block 15A will be the official mailing address used by the Government for letter correspondence, if necessary).

The Name, Title, Signature and Date identified in Block 16, 17, 18, must be an authorized representative with authority to commit the Offeror to contractual obligations.

Section B – Supplies or Services and Prices will be completed by the GPT (Offerors are directed to use Volume 3, Sample Task Order Pricing and the corresponding Technical Data Packages (TDPs) for each sample task)

Section K – The Offeror shall complete and submit all Representations and Certifications in accordance with the instructions in Section K.

4.4. Contractor Teaming Arrangements

Offerors submitting a proposal as the prime Offeror in response to this solicitation are not permitted to submit a separate proposal under which they would be a subcontractor, or team member to another prime.

Subcontractors are permitted to support multiple primes.

5. Volume 2, Self-Scoring Worksheet and Supporting Documentation

5.1. Format

The Offeror shall use the following format for Volume 2. With exception of the Section J, Attachment 1, Self-Scoring Worksheet, all pages below count towards page count limitations.

Title Page / Cover Letter Executive Summary (Optional, not more than one (1) page) Assumptions/Exceptions Table of Contents (TOC) List of Drawings/Tables/Graphs/Figures/Charts Specific Content For supporting Self-Scoring Worksheet

5.2. Document Verification and Self-Scoring Worksheet

The Offeror shall complete the Self- Scoring Worksheet (Section J, Attachment 1, Self-Scoring Worksheet). These self-scores can be based on Prime and/or Subcontractor contracts which are submitted as work examples, unless otherwise specified below.

The Offeror shall complete the Scoring Summary Table on the Self-Scoring Worksheet, including the “Offeror’s Self-Score Total.” Unless stated otherwise, the Offeror shall not change, adjust, or manipulate any other cells within the matrix. The Prime Offeror shall accurately rate itself (including any Subcontractor team members) and provide sufficient supporting evidence (e.g., body of facts, data, proof) which clearly substantiates the Offeror’s self-score.

The Offeror’s Self-Score Total shall not exceed the maximum identified for each element. In order to receive the max points, the Offeror’s work examples shall demonstrate performance related to each of the applicable program areas. Offerors shall not receive extra points.

5.3. Self-Scoring Supporting Documentation

The Offeror’s self-scoring worksheet supporting documentation shall be clear, concise, and include all the information required in sufficient detail for effective evaluation. The verification and validation data should not simply rephrase or restate the Government’s requirements, but rather shall provide convincing rationale to address each evaluation element. Offerors shall assume the Government has no prior knowledge of their capabilities, work processes, facilities, operations, and experience and will base its evaluation solely on the information submitted by the Offeror.

5.3.1. Validation and Verification of AS9100 Certification (Pass/Fail)

The Offeror shall provide their current certification to AS9100 and/or international equivalent quality assurance standard.

5.3.2. Relevant Experience (Maximum of 10 points)

To support their self-score in this element, the Offeror shall submit supporting documentation, including up to five (5) work examples for work completed that is substantially similar to the overall scope of work in the solicitation Statement of Work. The support documentation and work examples may encompass a wide range of relevant products that were produced by the offeror or in partnership with their subcontractor(s). The work examples should fully support the self-score and clearly provide verification and validation of the Offeror’s current ability to interpret a detailed Technical Data Package (TDP) and successfully execute specific manufacturing processes to produce conforming parts in representative quantities.

5.3.3. Facilities and Equipment (Maximum of 10 points)

To support their self-score in this element, the Offeror shall submit supporting documentation. The supporting documentation may encompass a wide range of relevant data and information to support their self-score. Supporting documentation should fully support the self-score and clearly provide verification and validation of the Offeror’s current ability to meet all contract requirements. Offeror shall demonstrate that its facilities and/or its subcontractor’s manufacturing/production facilities are, at a minimum sufficient in maturity to produce bracket assembly quantities up to 300 kits over a two (2) year period.

Offeror shall describe the facilities, resources and/or in-house equipment available and/or proposed to manufacture diverse bracket parts and/or kit assemblies.

5.3.4. Production Personnel (Maximum of 5 points)

To support their self-score in this element, the Offeror shall submit supporting documentation. Supporting documentation should encompass a wide range of relevant data, should fully support the self-score, and should clearly provide verification and validation of the Offeror’s current ability to hire, train, retain and support qualified personnel for production and operations.

5.3.5. Administrative Personnel (Maximum of 5 points)

To support their self-score in this element, the Offeror shall submit supporting documentation. Supporting documentation should encompass a wide range of relevant data, should fully support the self-score, and should clearly provide verification and validation of the Offeror’s current ability to provide for administrative support including contracts management, financial management, human resources, subcontractor management, and related operational elements required to support program execution, compliance and control.

5.3.6. Risk Assessment/Risk Management (Maximum of 5 points)

To support their self-score in this element, the Offeror shall submit supporting documentation. Supporting documentation should encompass a wide range of relevant data, should fully support the self-score, and should clearly provide verification and validation of the Offeror’s current Risk Assessment/Risk Management program, processes/procedures.

5.3.7. Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Program (Maximum of 5 points)

To support their self-score in this element, the Offeror shall submit supporting documentation. The support documentation may encompass a wide range of relevant data and information to support their self-score. Supporting documentation should fully support the self-score and clearly provide verification and validation of the Offeror’s current Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) program, processes/procedures.

5.3.8. Work Instructions (Maximum of 5 points)

To support their self-score in this element, the Offeror shall submit supporting documentation. Supporting documentation should encompass a wide range of relevant data, should fully support the self-score, and should clearly provide verification and validation of the Offeror’s current Work Instruction program, processes/procedures.

5.3.9. Materials Handling (Maximum of 5 points)

To support their self-score in this element, the Offeror shall submit supporting documentation. The support documentation may encompass a wide range of relevant data and information to support their self-score. Supporting documentation should fully support the self-score and clearly provide verification and validation of the Offeror’s current Materials Handling program, processes/procedures.

5.3.10. Equipment Maintenance (Maximum of 5 points)

To support their self-score in this element, the Offeror shall submit supporting documentation. Supporting documentation should encompass a wide range of relevant data, should fully support the self-score, and should clearly provide verification and validation of the Offeror’s current Equipment Maintenance program, processes/procedures.

5.3.11. Materials Inspection (Maximum of 5 points)

To support their self-score in this element, the Offeror shall submit supporting documentation. Supporting documentation should encompass a wide range of relevant data, should fully support the self-score, and should clearly provide verification and validation of the Offeror’s current Materials Inspection program, processes/procedures.

5.3.12. Supplier Management (Maximum of 5 points)

To support their self-score in this element, the Offeror shall submit supporting documentation. Supporting documentation should encompass a wide range of relevant data, should fully support the self-score, and should clearly provide verification and validation of the Offeror’s current Supplier Management program, processes/procedures.

6. Volume 3, Sample Task Order Price Proposal

The purpose of this volume is to assist the Offeror in submitting other than certified cost or pricing data that is required to evaluate the reasonableness and realism as defined below.

The Price Volume shall be organized according to the following general outline:

Title Page / Cover Letter Executive Summary (Optional, not more than one (1) page) Assumptions/Exceptions Table of Contents (TOC) Specific Pricing Content

Price Data/Content: Data beyond that required by this instruction shall not be submitted unless the Offeror considers it essential to document or support its price position. All data relating to the proposed price, including all required supporting documentation, must be included in the section of the proposal designated as the Volume 3, Sample Task Order Price Proposal. Under no circumstances shall this data and documentation be included elsewhere in the proposal.

Pricing Data Requirements: IAW FAR 15.403-1(b) and 15.403-3(a), data other than certified cost or pricing data may be required to support a determination of price reasonableness. Data shall be provided IAW FAR 15.403-5, Instructions for Submission of Certified Cost or Pricing Data and Data other than Certified Cost or Pricing Data.

Rounding: All dollar amounts provided are requested to be rounded to the nearest dollar.

Data Pricing: Data deliverables/Contract Data Requirements Lists (CDRLs), as applicable, will not be separately priced.

Specific Pricing Content: The Offer shall include the total price offered to complete each of the three (3) sample task requirements, including all required elements to produce and deliver the parts in the required quantities, including but not limited to engineering, materials, manufacturing, packaging, inspecting and delivering fully-inspected, conforming parts to the Government. All Freight-On-Board (FOB) terms shall be considered Destination acceptance. Each sample task requirement shall be separately priced and shall include all price data the Offeror deems relevant to supporting their task order price. The offeror shall include a total price for the completion of all (3) task requirements. This will be used as the Total Evaluated Price (TEP) for price evaluation purposes.